Xysticus fagei
| Fage's Ground Crab Spider | |
|---|---|
| female with egg sac | |
| female with egg sac | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Thomisidae |
| Genus: | Xysticus |
| Species: | X. fagei
|
| Binomial name | |
| Xysticus fagei | |
Xysticus fagei is a species of spider in the family Thomisidae.[2] It is found in East Africa, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, and is commonly known as Fage's round crab spider.[3]
Distribution
Xysticus fagei occurs in East Africa, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. In South Africa, the species is distributed across four provinces, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West.[3]
Notable South African locations include Kemptonpark, Irene, Polokwane Nature Reserve, Springbok Flats, Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, Mariepskop, Kruger National Park, and Rustenburg. The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 592 to 1,668 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
Xysticus fagei is a free-living ground species typically found under stones during the day. The species inhabits grassland and savanna biomes.[3]
Conservation
Xysticus fagei is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in five protected areas including Polokwane Nature Reserve, Groenkloof Nature Reserve, Nylsvley Nature Reserve, Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, and Kruger National Park.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Roger de Lessert in 1919 from Kiboscho in East Africa. African species of Xysticus have not been revised, and the species is known from both sexes.[3]
References
- ^ Lessert, R. de (1919). "Araignées du Kilimandjaro et du Merou (suite). Résultats scientifiques des voyages en Afrique d'Édouard Foa". Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. 25: 117–124.
- ^ "Xysticus fagei Lessert, 1919". World Spider Catalog. Version 26. Natural History Museum Bern. 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide: Thomisidae (part 4). 1. p. 4. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.